The Blue Marble Restaurant - Disappointingly Mediocre Tapas

I normally do not frequent airport restaurants because they often feature fast food equivalents for the on the go diners. That was when I read about a new establishment billing itself as an upscale tapas style cuisine. Called The Blue Marble and located in the modern Grand Hotel, the premise and positive posts on Urban spoon moved me to try the place. Grabbing a friend for a belated birthday, we made the quick drive over to the airport to dine at The Blue Marble Restaurant.

Finding the place at the airport is easy. Parking in the airport parkade allows for a quick five minute stroll over to the Grand Hotel where The Blue Marble is located. A handsome modern restaurant with large panes of glass and plentiful comfortable booth style seating, diners have the option of choosing from the louder and more raucous lounge or the dim private dining room. Thankfully parking is validated for six hours for paying guests.

The main attraction to the restaurant is their tapas style menu. Served only at dinner, Blue Marble offers a large number of clever tapas creations with enough variety to compliment most diners wishes. Reading through the menu reveals interesting combinations like a Venison Carpaccio with a Chestnut Puree or a Beef Tartar with Avocado. If tapas is not in the cards, a dinner menu was also provided which features more ordinary dishes including a smattering of soup and salad options, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and grilled entrees. The more exciting menu and one that Blue Marble can differentiate itself with is the tapas.

Our meal started with a Arugula Salad which featured the fresh greens with a Saskatoon vinaigrette, prosciutto, candied pecans and poached pears. The tastiest dish of the day, the chef does well to pair classic ingredients and new flavours into a well balanced salad that could have served as a main meal for some. Salty, sweet, slightly bitter and tart all come together nicely here.

Serving Oxtail Ravioli in undercooked (almost raw) pasta is an egregious error that took away from the entire dish. Granted the oxtail was nicely prepared and tender and while the accompanying white bean puree and morels were tasty, the entire dish ground to a halt with the disgustingly undercooked doughy pasta. Beautifully presented, woefully prepared.

This mediocre Duck Breast, prepared sous vide, is paired with a venerable forest of greens and lentils. The breast, although tender and cooked through, was laughably devoid of any seasoning or flavouring; furthermore the usual contrast of crispy skin with smooth meat was destroyed here with fatty tendrils of charred skin that offered nothing to the dish. Finally, the accompanying salad, while nicely dressed with a Saskatoon berry vinaigrette, completely overpowered the bland duck and overall resembled a salad more than a main dish.

Thankfully the Arctic Char was much better with seared and tender filets of delicate char that went well with a citrus-filled salsa. I enjoyed the use of the blanched green beans and thought they paired well with the crunch of toasted almond and bacon. The accompanying crispy skin of the fish though, was completely tasteless and added nothing to the dish.

Canadian Prime Beef Tartar was also decent, with the chopped fresh meat paired with avocado and a horseradish puree. The spice of the horseradish was off-putting initially but our taste buds quickly adapted to the spiciness and thought it helped elevate the tender and luxurious beef. The addition of avocado was an interesting one as it added more, un-needed, fattiness but also a creaminess that the beef was missing.

This handsomely presented Pickerel features portions of filet served on blanched leeks and paired with a truffle aioli, crispy shallot, summer peas and watercress puree. I enjoyed the balance between the nicely prepared fish with the truffle aioli and the sweet pop from summer peas. Textural balance is achieved from the crispy shallot and smooth fish flesh. The rest of the accompaniments feel cluttered and added little to the dish.

Blue Marble Restaurant was an unfortunate example of fancily dressed mediocrity: the food was unspectacular, ordinary at the best and downright repulsive at worst. While I appreciated the unique elements in each dish, it was as if the chef thought to overwhelm the customer with every ingredient in their playbook and hope the diner enjoys some aspect of the dish. Granted there are some nice pairings here but the overall dining experience was forgettable and lackluster. There are better tapas restaurants in town, ones in locations better accessible and featuring uniformly better food than Blue Marble.

Bodega - Wonderful Downtown Tapas (Edmonton 30 in 30)

Food is synonymous with culture and can give diners a glimpse into the everyday lives of different cultures around the world (at a fraction of the cost of a plane ticket). The best restaurants paint a picture with their food and transform each customers' meal into an experience, filled with the culture of that specific cuisine. This is what Bodega does well. I was introduced to the concept of tapas in Winnipeg where a seemingly endless number of Spanish small plate tapas style restaurants have popped up. Thus I was thrilled to hear that Edmonton has its own tapas eatery ... and it serves darn good food to boot!

Bodega shares its location with its sister restaurant on a busy stretch of road on 102 avenue and 103 street. I can see how diners can be confused by the layout of the place (I sure was) as the tapas bar is literally steps from the sister restaurant but each have its own separate menu, tables, wait list and wait staff: perhaps a little clearer demarcation would be of benefit for all. Nevertheless the restaurant itself is handsome and has a modern sheen to it. The wait staff, though, was average at best and intrusive at worst, with a rather unkempt staff member brandying a milk carton full of table cleaner ruining the ambiance and class of the restaurant.

Nevertheless the food is what makes or breaks a restaurant. And boy does Bodega deliver! The menu is a simple one pager (note the water stains) filled to the brim with a litany of small tapas style hot and cold plates. I was intrigued by the majority of the dishes and was pleased to see classics on the menu, such as potatas bravas, but also novel interesting dishes like the bacon wrapped dates. For those looking for larger plates Bodega also offers a few main courses; an interesting choice considering they bill themselves as a tapas style restaurant. Rounding out the menu is their impressive array of wines and beers.

First off the hopper are the Dates. These juicy morsels of fruit are wrapped in bacon and served with a quince reduction. I loved the dichotomy of flavours here with the sweet flesh of the date contrasting the salty crispy bacon. Ultimately it was the sweet, salty and slightly sour quince reduction that brings the entire dish together. Marvelous.

Grilled Octopus was next to come and was the highlight of the night for me. The octopus was incredibly tender, showcasing the masterful technique and skill of the chef. Furthermore the superbly grilled octopus is paired with a black olive vinaigrette, a rich sauce with a hint of the salty meaty olive flavour. Finally the small amount of cilantro adds in much needed freshness to cap off a wonderful dish.

Patatas bravas are the standard appetizer served at almost all Spanish tapas establishments. The base is grilled potatoes which are paired here with garlic and a pigmenton aioli. There was nothing extraordinary here as Bodega serves simple humble potatoes with a rich aioli. I would have preferred a smaller cut of potato as each bite was mostly bland starch with a minute shot of the garlic and pigmenton flavour.

Wild Boar Feijoada was the only disappointment of the day. A pork and bean stew, the chefs do a good job of pairing tender pork with cooked beans and slightly bitter kale. Unfortunately the sauce/broth was too runny and did not impart any flavour into the dish. Perhaps adding in a starch element would have benefited the entire dish.

Bacalhau cake is actually a salt cod fritter served with a romesco sauce. The fritter was nicely fried with a tender exterior and creamy salt cod juicy interior. The romesco inspired sauce, high on peppers and low on nuts, was a nice accompaniment and offered a spicy kick that elevated the otherwise plain fritter.

Grilled Calamari was incredible as well. The golden rings of calamari was masterly grilled tender and served with a spicy tomato sauce. The chefs do a great job in adding the sprouts which provide an earthiness and freshness that counteracts the tasty grilled squid and sweet tomato sauce. Incredible!

My dessert was a Crema Catalana, a Spanish variant of creme brulee. The custard was nice and smooth and featured a nice egg-y flavour. Of course the contrast is the flambe-d sugar topping which unfortunately was overcooked and slightly bitter. Overall a good and functional dessert but nothing extroadindary.

I cannot help but be excited by Bodega. It was truly marvelous food that took me to the coasts of Spain and back. The incredibly tender grilled seafood show an appreciation of and skill in cooking the ingredients and the pairings with the sauces were masterfully done. Although there were some blemishes in the food, the most egregious of the restaurant lies within their wait staff and service. Ultimately though, if the food remains this high quality, I have no qualms in consisting recommending Bodega for anyone looking for high quality tapas in Edmonton.

A Bear-y Special Visit: Segovia

After a fun day exploring The Forks, it was time to supper. Having a former medical school colleague of ours visit was excuse enough to get together and catch up in our busy lives. And so the troops were amassed for an meal at Segovia.

Segovia is a popular restaurant in the Winnipeg food scene. Located on Stradbrook nary a stone's throw from Osborne Street, Segovia focuses its talented chefs on creating Latin American inspired tapas style cuisine. Its head chef, Adam Donnelly, is a well regarded chef who has stints working at Michelin Star Restaurants under his belt and is renowned for his vision in assembling simple, unique and tasty dishes. Thus it should be no surprise that Segovia is one of the most popular restaurants in Winnipeg. It's popularity, though, outstrips itself and finding a seat, especially on a weekend, can be tough and a test of endurance. Not taking reservations, it is not uncommon to see hour-long waits for seats and while some view this as prohibitive, the majority stay and are handsomely rewarded for their patience.

Having blogged previously about Segovia, we had a good basis on their food and drink. Touting their Latin inspirations, we had no choice but to order one ... or three ... pitchers of their house Sangria. Red wine, fresh berries and citrus are the basis for this pungent, smooth and almost juice-like like drink. Light and refreshing this started a constant low-pitch background growl of our stomachs as we enthusiastically lapped in conversation while waiting anxiously for our food.

We started with a simple dish, Patatas Bravas. Thinly sliced white potatoes are fried crisp and served with a house aioli and a basil tomato sauce. These potatoes, nicely fried crisp, were little vehicles for the even more delicious sauces. The aioli had smoothness and creaminess that was intersected wonderfully with the tart spicy tomato sauce.

Chorizo & Apples was next to arrive. A personal favourite of mine, the combination of spicy chorizo, tart apple and sweet honey sauce all scream umami in this excellent dish. Today I thought Segovia overcooked the chorizo a bit resulting in some charred black portions of sausage that unfortunately gave a hint of bitterness to the otherwise tasty apples and honey sauce.

Next into the gladiator pits of our stomach was the Albacore Tuna Crudo. A nice fillet of briefly seared tuna was paired here with pineapple salsa, pine nuts and raisins. Beautiful presented, the seared fish had a tenderness that simply melted in your mouth. Unfortunately the salsa topping, while excellent on its own, was a tad strong and overpowered the delicate fish.

Spicy Venison Tartare was our next dish of choice and was served with crispy potatoes and a Tandoori Hollandaise. A bit difficult to imagine at first, the curry based Hollandaise was the most inspired part of this dish. Working perfectly with the exquisitely tender lean meat, the sauce added needed fattiness to the dish. I was amazed at the lack of gamey-ness of the dish and applaud the chef for crafting such intense depth of flavours here.

BBQ Mackerel was a instant pick from our fellow fish loving resident. The moderately sized grilled fish was paired with a curried cashew granola and celeriac remoulade. The crisp celery root had a vast depth of flavour within the aioli like remoulade. Unfortunately the fish was devoid of flavour and was disappointingly overcooked, lacking any dedicated BBQ sauce within the dry fish. This was the only misstep of an otherwise excellent meal.

This dish brought the table down, Roasted Beef Short Rib, and left us wholly satisfied. Here Segovia stacks superbly tender short rib with soft peppery cauliflower mash, sharp onions and a fresh salsa verde into a dish that amounts to one of my favourite of all time. The different notes of each component harmonize with one another and elevates the entire dish into magnificence.

Our last main was the Smoked Lamb Rump. Taking some Mediterranean influences, the tender rump is topped with chickpeas, a raita (Yogurt based Indian dip) and a large piece of flatbread.  The lamb, tender and expertly cooked, went well with the creamy raita and crisp bread. Although the chickpeas added a nice crispy texture to each bite, I was missing some herbal or vegetable freshness to cut through the fatty lamb.
 

For dessert, we started off with the Bunelos. Popular in Latin America, these fried dough balls were finished with drizzled hot chocolate. Similar in flavour and taste to a churro ball, this was a great dessert. Segovia does a nice job here making the Bunelos crisp on the outside but soft and light on the inside. The chocolate, while an obvious pairing, was tasty and complimented the deep fried dough balls well.

Finally we ended this vast supper with a Apple & Rhubarb Crumble, served with a rosemary ice cream. Beautifully plated, the crumble had a good contrast in sweet, sour and salty. The fruit added much needed balance to the dough and the ice cream added a textural creamy element that finished the entire dish off nicely.

Overall Segovia reminded me again of its inspired Latin American tapas style cuisine. Although there were some clear highlights of the supper, each dish (Mackerel aside) had some moments of inspiration and brilliance. Dining on such skill reinforces how important the mixture of flavours is in food and showcases the chefs skill and ability in spades. A definite recommendation for anyone looking for something new to try in Osborne, even with the associated hour long (or longer) waits.

Enoteca

Being 1 in 2 call is tiring. To put things into context, 1 in 2 results in the resident (i.e. me) working ~26 hours straight from Day 1 to Day 2, then goes home to, mostly, sleep off the rest of Day 2 and then return to do the same thing on Day 3. Although mentally exhausting, the prospect of having a post-call day and a post-call meal always excites me. Thus I absolutely jumped at the opportunity to join a co-resident for their birthday at Enoteca.

Enoteca is a contemporary restaurant focused on tapas style dining. Opened by one of the owners of Deseo, a personal favourite, I was nothing short of deliriously excited to be dining here. Located on the west end of Corydon, I cannot help but be drawn to the large, bright and attractive sign beckoning me forward.

Enoteca has a limited menu and recommends that one shares food. Having a large group of 16 people, we ultimately gave the reigns to the chefs to bring out a selection of their best and favourite dishes. Skimming the menu, one gets the sense that the chefs are confident in their technique and bullish in their creativity. Boy was I excited.

Listed as Green Salad, this marvelous salad consisted of romaine, edemame, jacaima, creme fraiche and finished with wasabi peas and a lime vinaigrette. The cacophony of ingredients put the dish at risk of being too "busy", but I can happily report that all the elements played well with one another. The two key parts are the wasabi peas, which gave a tart and spicy kick, and the lime vinaigrette. Overall excellently executed and well dressed.

Roast Beets are paired with pancetta wrapped pears and finished with a buttermilk and goat cheese dressing accentuated by toasted almonds and basil. Although delicious it was difficult to tell what the star of the dish was. The beets were nicely roasted but overpowered by the crisp pear and salty pancetta. Alternatively the goat cheese dressing worked well with the warm beets but clashed with the pears.

Fresh Pasta is paired with lamb, chevre and topped with a gremolata. This was absolutely divine and the best dish of the night. Incredibly tender pasta soaked up the tomato based lamb sauce. The wonderfully tender and fatty pieces of lamb contrasted well with the chevre and the gremolata brought the entire dish together. Incredible!

Roast Brussel Sprouts are mixed expertly with chorizo, chestnuts, grapefruit and finished with creme fraiche. The addition of grapefruit here was a stroke of genius adding a tarty sweetness to the dish. Combining all the elements in one bite induced a moment of umami I routinely seek but rarely get.

Soft Shell Crab was the only pseudo-disappointment of the day. Served on a brioche bun with pickled slaw and sauce Americaine, the dish was overall too moist. The crab bordered on mushy and rendered a fatty oily flavour to the dish and while the pickled slaw and sauce were good elements the overall dish was not very palatable.

The Beef Tartar was incredible. Tender pieces of beef with spices mixed in with a quail egg, served with foie gras on top of a brioche bun, this was Enoteca at its finest. The addition of the foie gras was a curious choice but worked as an butter-like base for the tender and strong beef. The yogurt and mustard sauces were strong enough to interject and add their voices to this mix of delicious.

Wild Boar Belly was incredibly tender. Topped with a romesco and paired with a sherry based broth and white prawns, this dish made the meat lovers of the group happy. Ala a surf and turf, the prawns and pork belly worked well together, but the star is the melt in your mouth pork.

Last dish of the day was Hamachi cured with lemon and mixed with citrus, fennel and capers. We were mostly stuffed by now so most of us could only offer a small bite of this. The fish was nicely cured but too delicate to be paired with the strong citrus fruit. Overall this was an altogether average dish.

Enoteca was a joy and delight to dine at. The style, presentation and pagentry the chefs create with their food is something everyone should behold. Make sure to go with a group as they are geared towards shared small plate tapas style dining.

Tapas in town - Segovia

This post is in lieu. Having talked to other bloggers, they mention the inevitability you will forget to make a post and have to talk about something weeks ... or months ... late. Thus I present to you here. Me and a fellow friend decided to try out Segovia Tapas Bar and Restaurant prior to going to see Wicked (which was wonderful btw).

Segovia is a popular tapas style restaurant in the heart of Osborne Village. Because we lived so close it was easy to make the quick walk over. We started off the meal with a Red Wine Sangria.

Segovia's menu features numerous small plates with mostly Spanish and South American influences. The menu is far from extensive, but there should be something listed for everyone's taste buds!

We started off with the Beef Carpaccio with Celery Leaf Salsa and finished with shaved parmesean. The beef was unbelievably thin and tender and mixed in well with the fragment celery leaf and sharp Parmesan. Well executed!

The special for the day was a Smoked Brie served on a crustini. The creamy brie had a nice smoky aroma and went well with the crunch of the crustini.

Albacore Tuna Tartare was next. Big chunks of fresh tuna with a bean and corn salsa served with tortilla chips. I found the tuna was masked by the other strong ingredients in this dish.

I ordered this on a whim after seeing another table with. Chorizo and Apples do not seem to be that obvious of a combination, but this dish does both justice. Sweet, spicy, juicy. Delicious.

For dessert, my dining companion could not resist the Turkish Coffee Cake with Cardamom Ice Cream. Indeed this dessert was sophisticated, stylish and tasty. Awesome way to end the meal and get us set for Wicked.